Global green bond issuance rose to $163 billion last year, up 68 per cent from 2016, research by Bloomberg New Energy Finance shows The market was mainly driven by new corporate debt issuance. Companies from a range of sectors sold green bonds to fund corporate sustainability measures, including development of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, the report said. Earlier this month, the Climate Bonds Initiative said global issuance reached $155.5 billion last year.